/Director/Producer

Actor, director, producer and humanitarian Bill Duke is the founder and CEO of Duke Media. Formerly Yagya Productions, the organization under his leadership has been successfully producing film and television for over 30 years. A rare talent, he along with Michael Shultz and Gordon Parks paved the way for African-Americans in cinema beginning in the early '70s.

Bill Duke excels in front of and behind the camera and is unprecedented in his ability to be recognized as a mainstay in Hollywood. His acting and directing credits are extensive and include television series Falcon Crest, Fame and and feature films Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Get Rich or Die Trying, , Hoodlum and , to name a few.

Most recently, he completed the Image Award–nominated documentaries Light Girls, and , which aired on OWN and succeeded as one of the most successful shows in the network's history. Bill Duke's contributions to the film industry has not gone unrecognized.

Over the course of his career, he has been appointed to the National Endowment of Humanities by President as well as the board of the California State Film Commission by former Governor , and he has been honored by the Directors Guild of America with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute. Equally important are his humanitarian efforts, as Bill Duke devotes his time to charity and not-for-profit organizations. He is on the board of directors of Educating Young Minds and recently established the Duke Media Foundation, which teaches media and financial literacy to young people.